Pig processing plants could be the next target for farmer protests, the president of the Irish Farmers' Association warned yesterday on his re-election to the post he relinquished last month during the meat factories blockade.
In his presidential address to the annual meeting of the IFA in Dublin, Mr Tom Parlon warned that processors "must support the pig industry in its time of crisis". He also called on banks to give a six-month moratorium on the payment of interest on loans to pig producers.
Mr Parlon and the members of the IFA's national council resigned during the meat plants blockade to save the organisation from continuing heavy fines.
In an emotional speech to yesterday's meeting, Mr Parlon said farmers had proved during the meat factories blockade that they were not prepared to be "blackguarded by the meat plants" any more.
"For many, there was a strong sense that this was their last stand. We have won that battle because we had right on our side. While we won the battle, I have no doubt we must remain vigilant to win the war," he told cheering supporters.
He said that during the two-week campaign he had seen extraordinary determination and passion by farmers, who had acted with intelligence and dignity.
"While the farmers stood their ground at the factory gates, as was to be expected, the factories then attacked the IFA, possibly in the belief that destroying the organisation would break organised farmers," he said.
"We paid our dues in the court. At least the factories were smart enough not to take individual farmers on. The numbers on the blockade would have increased tenfold if there had been any move against individual farmers."
Mr Parlon said that while the law was against the IFA, the basic justice of their case brought public opinion in support of farmers to a level not seen since the 1960s. He said the IFA had also won the support of workers in the plants and consumers, who saw for the first time the difference between what they were paying for beef and what farmers received.
Mr Parlon announced that as a result of the dispute the IFA was putting in place a National Cattle Price Desk to report, analyse and publish every facet of cattle prices.
He said this service would be costly but was very necessary. The IFA would fund it by paying a levy of £1 per animal to set it up. This should raise £1 million.
Mr Parlon, who was unanimously re-elected as president, outlined the details of the agricultural agreement in the new Programme for Prosperity and Fairness, which will be voted on next month by the organisation.
He said there was a commitment for a £50 million-a-year farm investment grant package, and young farmers would get a better deal when taking over farms.
But, he said, the agreement that farmers whose animals get TB will be compensated at a new "market value price" was probably one of the most important elements of the agreement because it would tackle the bovine TB problem head on.
At a press conference after his inauguration, Mr Parlon said reports that only six of the 21 meat factories paid 90p per lb for beef last week did not reflect the complex pricing structure on the ground.
He said the local agreements made with factories had not been broken.